Stories from Thursday, April 19, 2018

Word had been received last week from Senator Roy Blunt's office that he would be at the Lilbourn City Hall for a meeting with city leaders and business owners last Thursday afternoon, April 5. Instead, Blunt's Community Liaison Ailey Pope came. Blunt was stuck in Washington working and passing bills. Pope's was to listen to the community leaders on the many issues that affect small town living like Lilbourn, and to take these concerns back to Blunt's office...

Four individuals were honored Saturday night during the Awards Banquet sponsored by the Portageville Chamber of Commerce. The event was held in the Portageville Community Center. The award banquet had been held since the mid 2000's. Kelly Kellams was selected as Farmer of the Year, Bill Foster was selected as Citizen of the Year, Donna Hawkins was selected as Teacher of the Year, and Dr. Clint Klipfel was selected as Business of the Year...

NEW MADRID, Mo. — There was a flood of ideas on how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers should spend its funding and the projects in need of completion as speakers addressed the Mississippi River Commission. At Monday’s public hearing at New Madrid, members of the MRC and the Corps also took the opportunity to note the recent federal appointment of longtime MRC member and New Madrid resident R.D. ...

Last Wednesday, Portageville Senior athlete Ian Torrey signs a Letter of Intent to play basketball for Southern Illinois College in Harrisburg, Ill with a full ride scholarship. From left are, Amber Torrey, Ian Torrey and Mark Motsinger, SIC head coach. ...

MALDEN, Mo. - The Malden Green Wave’s chances of defending its title looked to be in serious jeopardy after it needed 13 innings to dispose of Bernie 4-3 in its opening game at its own nine-team baseball tournament Friday morning.  But strong pitching performances kept coming for the Green Wave even after they deployed pitchers Mason Brown and Ethan Bader in their marathon opener...

The Missouri House has voted to take more steps toward fighting opioid addiction with a focus on shifting the response to addiction from law enforcement and incarceration to treatment availability.  As the sponsor said, “That’s the thing that’s lacking so much now, is we don’t have enough health care providers to provide access to what’s called, ‘medication-assisted therapy.’ It is basically using medications like buprenorphine and Suboxone that get rid of the craving for narcotics and it allows people to get back to a useful, functional, rewarding life, but they need the medication on an ongoing basis and for that we need healthcare providers to help provide access to that sort of treatment, and we don’t have enough of those now.” . ...

Newsprint is one of the grades of paper in a category called Uncoated Groundwood paper or UGW. Most of the newsprint used in U.S. newspapers is manufactured in Canada and has been for many years. U.S. publishing businesses were instrumental in encouraging the development of the Canadian newsprint market because of the natural advantages of hydropower and water-lane shipping in that country. ...

SIKESTON – Southeast Missouri Food Bank and our 180 partner-agency network remain unyielding in our fight against hunger. Last year more than 60,000 individuals and families were served every month. Over 96 percent of their expenses go directly to those in need through their program services...

Members of the Southeast Missouri Homeland Security Response Team participate in a confined space rescue drill Wednesday at the Sikeston Power Station. The exercises, which were part of the team’s monthly training, consisted of confined space and high-angle rescues within the power plant. ...

Newly renovated, former Hearnes’ residence open to the public Friday and Saturday; tickets available at the Mississippi County Historical Society

CHARLESTON, Mo. — Carroll David “Jake” Graham, 77, died April 17, 2018, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Feb. 11, 1941, at Charleston, son of the late Joseph Claud “Toots” Graham and Veda Mae Peevyhouse Graham, he had lived in Charleston his entire life and had been employed in construction work prior to going to work in the maintenance department at Noranda where he was employed for over 30 years. He was a member of the Diehlstadt General Baptist Church. ...

SIKESTON — Charles Andrew Croom, age 88, passed away at Missouri Delta Medical Center on Wednesday, April 18, 2018. He was born June 5, 1929, in Memphis, Tenn., to the late Charles Wilson and Thelma Katherine (Linderman) Croom. Charles was of the Baptist faith; he served as a Seaman First Class in the U.S. ...

SIKESTON — Sharon Merideth, age 77, passed away on Tuesday, April 17, 2018, at Delta South in Sikeston.                                 She was born July 22, 1940, in Webster Springs, W. Va., to the late Orville and Edith Lorrane (Brewer) Hammon. After graduating from High School in Elkview, W. Va, Sharon was a member of the United States Women’s Army Corps for three years, achieving the rank of Specialist Fourth Class as a medical corpsman.  ...

WYATT, Mo. — Bonnie Jean Brumley, 87, died April 18, 2018, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Aug. 15, 1930, at Charleston, daughter of the late John R. and Vera G. Melton Lee, she had lived in Mississippi County her entire life.  A graduate of Diehlstadt High School, she attended beauty school and upon her completion, she owned and operated Bonnie’s Beauty Shop in Wyatt for many years until her retirement. ...

ESSEX, Mo. — Charles Edward Horton, 78, died April 17, 2018, at the Crowley Ridge Care Center in Dexter. Born March 16, 1940, in Essex, he was the son of the late Harlan “Rock” Horton and Nina Quinn Horton. Services were conducted Thursday at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Chapel in Dexter...

MUSKOGEE, Okla. — Mr. Donnie Ovelton Kesler, age 84, of Muskogee, passed away peacefully while holding his sweet wife’s hand during an afternoon nap on Tuesday, April 3, 2018, at The Springs, Muskogee. A visitation will be held on Thursday, April 19, 2018, from 6 p.m. ...

VANDUSER, Mo. — Lewis H. Storms, 83, formerly of Dexter, died April 19, 2018, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Arrangements are incomplete at Ponder Funeral Home in Sikeston.

My kids always look forward to their birthday every year, I’m sure your kids are or were the same way. Mine don’t all quite yet understand months and years, so we go through the order of who’s birthday is next, and then after that, and after that, until we finally get to them. As we get older, we don’t put as much emphasis on our birthday anymore, sometimes even dread one more year. But I have a different kind of birthday coming up, my “new-birthday.”...

NEW MADRID, Mo. — Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and School in New Madrid will celebrate their annual Riverfest fundraiser from noon to 6 p.m. May 5 at the Catholic school grounds at the corner of Scott and Powell streets in New Madrid. Monies raised will benefit the operation of the Catholic school for the coming school year. ...

SIKESTON — Those looking for anything hunting related, especially bow hunting, need to look no further than Feeder’s Supply in Sikeston. Located at 1014 Linn Street, Feeder’s is a full-line archery shop that has now added Bowtech to their already extensive line of products...

SIKESTON – Farm Credit Southeast Missouri President & CEO Bob Smith recently honored Chad Crow, senior vice president/senior relationship officer, on reaching 15 years of service with Farm Credit. Crow began his Farm Credit career in 2003 as a loan officer at the Sikeston branch office before being promoted to vice president/branch manager in 2006. ...

SIKESTON – Farm Credit Southeast Missouri President & CEO Bob Smith recently honored Stephanie Burger, HR Administrator & Senior Accountant, on reaching 15 years of service with Farm Credit. Burger began her Farm Credit career in 2003 as VP/Insurance, overseeing and assisting the risk management specialists throughout the association. ...

DEXTER, Mo. —Faurecia in Dexter donated a full X-frame EMS stretcher with backboard to Three Rivers College for use in its Emergency Medical Technician and Paramedic programs.  “We appreciate this donation, which we will place into the donated ambulance that we have to provide our students with realism in patient care scenarios,” said Tami Cunningham, Coordinator of the Emergency Medical Services Program at Three Rivers. Stretchers such as this one can cost more than $9,000...